Ex-county commissioner, ex-city councilman face up to five years in prison

Former Webb County Commissioner Jaime Canales is pictured at a campaign rally Oct. 3, 2017. He resigned as county commission on Oct. 18, 2018 after pleading guilty to a bribery charge in a federal court in Houston.

Former Webb County Commissioner Jaime Canales is pictured at a campaign rally Oct. 3, 2017. He resigned as county commission on Oct. 18, 2018 after pleading guilty to a bribery charge in a federal court in

Former Webb County Commissioner Jaime Canales is pictured at a campaign rally Oct. 3, 2017. He resigned as county commission on Oct. 18, 2018 after pleading guilty to a bribery charge in a federal court in Houston.

Former Webb County Commissioner Jaime Canales is pictured at a campaign rally Oct. 3, 2017. He resigned as county commission on Oct. 18, 2018 after pleading guilty to a bribery charge in a federal court in

Ex-county commissioner, ex-city councilman face up to five years in prison

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Former Webb County Commissioner Jaime Canales and former Laredo City Councilman Johnny Amaya pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit bribery in a federal court in Houston.

Hours before the U.S. Attorney's Office announced the guilty pleas, Webb County said Canales had submitted his letter of resignation as Precinct 4 commissioner.

Canales and Amaya are both out on bond, with sentencing hearings set for Feb. 14. They face up to five years in federal prison.

These charges are connected to the FBI's search of the Webb County Courthouse and Laredo City Hall in April 2017, according to an official with knowledge of the case. Canales and Amaya, who is also a former Laredo ISD school board member, were listed among others as "target subjects" in these search warrants. Canales' office was the only one searched at the county courthouse.

From January 2015 to January 2017, Canales accepted checks disguised as campaign contributions, plus meals, entertainment and the use of a co-conspirator's Padre Island condo — together totaling "well in excess of" $5,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release issued Thursday night.

These gifts from an unnamed individual intended to influence and reward Canales for his official acts as a Webb County commissioner and representative on the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the release states. The Metropolitan Planning Organization, made up of TxDOT and elected city and county officials, makes decisions on transportation projects in Laredo and Webb County.

Allegations against Amaya

Amaya owned JAUC Service Inc., and he was employed by an unnamed co-conspirator as a consultant for "Corporation A," the news release states.

"In this role, Amaya met and spoke with various Webb County and City of Laredo officials to direct them to take actions that benefited the co-conspirator and corporation. Amaya maintained close contact with officials who could help the conspirator and corporation by setting up meetings and passing messages to and from the conspirator," the release states. "Amaya admitted he acted as a middleman between the conspirator and public officials.

"Amaya also supported specific candidates in the November 2016 election cycle by providing rental cars, drivers and gas cards for those rental vehicles to transport voters to the polls, all for which the corporation paid."

The release did not name the corporation.

When the FBI raided city and county offices in Laredo last year, they simultaneously conducted searches of Dannenbaum Engineering offices across the state.

Dannenbaum had been awarded several high-profile contracts by these entities, including the city's $100 million El Pico Water Treatment Plant project and the joint city-county Hachar-Reuthinger Road project north of Laredo.

Before being named as a target subject in this case, Amaya had previously run into trouble with investigators. He was indicted for tampering with governmental records and engaging in organized criminal activity. A local jury found him not guilty in August 2015.

Amaya and seven others were investigated for allegedly falsifying daily and monthly water-quality reports at the Rio Bravo Water Treatment Plant when Amaya was the county's water utilities director.

The TCEQ found almost 30 violations at this plant, including the discovery of E. coli in the drinking water. Citizens of Rio Bravo were forced to boil their water.

When the plant opened, none of its operators had proper licenses, and much of the equipment never worked properly, according to an investigation by the Texas Rangers.

However, Amaya routinely asked these employees to sell tickets for fundraising events like dances or steak plates, the Rangers found.

The Texas Tribune reported that the Rangers also found documents in the water department's storage room including "several lists with employees' names and how much they owe or amount of ticket sales," the investigators' report said.

New commissioner

In a letter addressed Thursday to Webb County Commissioners Court, Canales announced his intent to resign, effective immediately.

"It has been an honor to represent Webb County especially the people of Pct. 4. It has been a privilege to work alongside all of you," he wrote in the brief notice.

Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina issued a statement on the resignation via email. He said he would appoint Commissioner-elect Cindy Liendo to take office immediately "to ensure continual representation for constituents of Precinct 4," Tijerina said.

"I want to thank Commissioner Canales for his years of service to Precinct 4 and all of Webb County and wish him success with his future endeavors," he continued.

Canales took office in 2011 and was re-elected in 2014 to another four-year term. He could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The Precinct 4 commissioner seat was up for election in the March primary. In October 2017, Canales announced his re-election campaign. But then a few months later in January, he decided that he would not be seeking re-election, citing the consideration of his career path and major health concerns affecting his immediate family.

In a letter to constituents, Canales said he planned to finish out his term, which would have ended Dec. 31.

Liendo won the Democratic primary for the Precinct 4 seat in a runoff and faces no Republican challenger this November. She was sworn in as Precinct 4 commissioner at a ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Liendo previously served on the Laredo ISD school board. She said she had already tendered her letter of resignation.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com